Attn Gun-dudes..looking for a rifle

Hey, this WAS CA-legal right up untill 1/1/2005 when they banned it!

You will want a bolt-action .308 rifle as your first. Trust me. It is VERY hard to go wrong with the Remington 700 "PSS"(26" bbl) or LTR(20" bbl) model. Spend about $700 on the rifle, and at least as much (maybe more, like $1300+ for a Nightforce.) on the scope.

http://www.snipercountry.com/InReviews/Remington700PSS.asp

You do not want a semi-auto, as the only accurate Semi is an AR-15 and they are not CA legal. So bolt it is. With good glass!

Infact, just get a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x56mm with the NP-R2 reticule straight out. You will get one later anyway, and this way you can avoid wasting money on other scopes.

Since you already have a .22 to practice steady trigger pulls with, I don't think you'll have a huge problem about developing a 'flinch', so the full .308 should be just fine. If you find yourself anticipititatng the recoil, STOP immediately and dry-fire or work the .22 for a while.

A heavy bolt .223 won't give as satisfying "kick" and frankly match quality ammo will cost nearly the same.
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The H&R or the Thompson/Center 223 with a bull barrel and a 6X18 scope is a good choice for target shooting and varmit shooting. Also cheap to shoot unless you're using match ammo.

 

It's too bad you are in California. Ask different people and you will get different answers. I really don't hunt so, all my guns are for protection and for fun. I have owned several AR-15's and I don't like them. They always mess up on me.
I have also owned several AK47 variants. IMHO the AK variants are the only way to go unless you want to get a Barret 50 cal.
A 7.63x39 round isn't sloppy at all. My Mac 90 is like an extention of my arm. I don't even use the sights and I can hit anything with it. It never jams or missfires and it's very easy to clean. The AK variants are loose inside and you can throw dirt in them and they will still fire.
I also have owned a Mini-30, which is an OK gun but, it's not an AK variant. It's tight inside, has lots of parts and is much harder to clean. It's not as fun of a gun at all. They just look more civilized, which could be a good thing in California.
I don't know as much technical info as Atherd does about guns but, I can tell you the experience I have had with these guns. I sold all of my AR's and my Mini-30 but, I still have a few AK variants. If you get an AK variant you want to get one that is milled not stamped. There is a quality difference.
If I was in a state that didn't alow AK variants, I would either move or get a bad as$ bolt action rifle.
Good luck.

 

A nice gun that you will not see too often in .223 that is a lot of fun, not too expensive and built well is the H&K SL-8. I have had mine since they came out, and always get's looks, as well as shoots great.

http://remtek.com/arms/hk/civ/sl8/sl8.htm

 

I have never owned the H&K SL-8, but I have shot one before and I will agree that it's a very nice firearm. I own the H&K USC 45 which is a rifle that fires the .45 handgun ammo. It's only good for a maximum range of 90 yards but, it is easily the most fun to shoot out of all my guns. It's the easiest to clean, the lightest in weight, and it's the most accurate. The reason why I did not mention it before is because it does not have any recoil. It's the same as a .22 but, that's one of the things I like. With the sight I have on it, it's like a laser pointer. You just point and squeeze and you can hit anything. It's a big bore gun with total accuracy.
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Is the H&K USC still available and legal in CA?

 

Not CA legal, nor are the AK variants. They are detachable mag semi-autos WITH a pistol grip. Banned in 2000. The HK SL-8 is also banned, because of it's 'thumbhole' grip as well.

Moronic laws.

 

Damn, I thought the thumbhole grips were allowed. Now that I look at H&K's website, it looks like they aren't selling rifles in the U.S. right now. You can find plenty of them at gun shows though.

Edit: Like Artherd said, go with the Remington 700

 

Check this BS out:

 

Would that include the SKS with the attached magazine? I can't remember what the capacity of the magazine is.

 

BAR is a good rifle....kind of hard to get though.

 

The .223 is not a wimpy caliber, trust me. At over 3,000 fps for the cheap ammo, it's a great ground squirrel killer.

 

It seems California is more worried about "scary" looking weapons than anything related to their efficiencies. Was their policy based on which weapons are the most intimidating in Sylvester Stallone movies?!

That's messed up.

 

Try Rock River Arms
National Match A2
www.rockriverarms.com
Very nice, good price and can use in any NRA match
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Also if your looking for a lot of gun info try the boards at
www.jouster.com

 

a very cool, accurate, * i think* Cali legal gun would be a Romanian Dragunov SVD sniper rifle. there are Cali leagal variations. i would get one in 7.62x54 Russian. this ammo is cheap, and the round itself is over 100 years old. i cannot say enough good things about this gun as a fun gun, thats cheap to shoot and looks cool as hell. they are under $700.00 or so new in the box.

next is the Mosin-Nagant rifles. these damn things are FACINATING. i ended up with one alsmost by accident several years ago and now i own 10 of them they are that cool, cheap and fun. i like the old stuff, cars , guns gutars, and these guns can be found dating from 1898 or so up to the 1970 "Sneaks" that were redone in the armoury. i have several of each in different variations and they are freaking fabulous bolt actions that car be had for anywhere from $49.00 to around $300.00 for the Sniper version, see the movie "Enemy At The Gates" .

a Springfield M1A in 308 is a fine rifle also, though they are around $1500.00 and i want one BADLY.... depends on what the gun feels like to you, a rifle can become a very personal thing, since you touch it so much while using it. i dont seem to have any of the pics with the proper PS01 sniper scope on it. i have one on my rifle now with the back lit recticle and the bullet drop scale. in english this means you can flip a switch and the cross hairs light up red , great for tin cans after dusk or varmint shooting. the PS01 is a longer and larger scope than the one seen in the google pic i found to share.
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as a reference, here is a pic of a Dragunov next to a regular AK47 variant. notice the diference in size!!! Michael



and the mag only holds 10 rounds, i think 5 round mags are issued to you folks in Kalifornia!
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-12276.1. (a) Notwithstanding Section 12276, "assault weapon" shall also mean any of the following:

Wow! I had no idea California went so crazy with the gun laws. I guess I'll be selling off some guns before the move.

Start with an SKS, you will love it for the price.

 

I would recommend any of the Howa Lightning Rifles.
http://www.legacysports.com/product/specs/howa_lightning.htm

I picked up a new .30-06 for $250.

Best buy out there IMO.

 

I used to own a remington model 700 7mm SA ultra mag, and I have still never fired a cleaner more accutrate bolt action with iron sights. The only problem is the ammo runs you about $1.50 a round, though I only bought boxes of 20 at a time. I would definately go the route of a Remington heavy barrel .308 though. Or, if you really want to get some looks as well as some bruises on your shoulder...
Give this a look.

http://www.weatherby.com/products/ammo.asp?prd_id=13

http://www.weatherby.com/products/guns.asp?prd=Rifles&prd_sub_type=1&prod_code=DXM257WR6O

 

Springfield M1A,M1 Grand or bolt guns are the onlys in California thats not a waste of cash.This state SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!




P.S. High power cars are next on the ban list.

 

Does it have to be semi-auto? If not, I HIGHLY recommend a one of the CZ-527 variants in .223.

My dad currently owns a CZ-527 Lux in .223, and I currently own a Remington 700BDL in .30-06, so I've had some opportunity to compare the two. I'd say the CZ-527 is every bit as good in fit and finish, if not better. In fact, I think the checkering on the stock is better. Hard to compare accuracy, but IIRC, my dad's does 1-inch groups at 100 yards without much difficulty.

Another rifle that I've seen but don't own that I would probably recommend the most is a Howa M-1500. Best out of the box accuracy I've ever seen on a rifle of its price range. Fit and finish looked great. IIRC, they're made by Weatherby as their lower level line. My next bolt action rifle will probably be one of these.

http://www.legacysports.com/product/info_howa_std.htm

 

Steve; you will not want to shoot surplus ammo in your $700 precision bolt-gun. That would be like Cameron Diaz bagging random dudes in the park.

Don't cheap out here, you deserve a quality piece. I would not even consider the 7.62x39 round, as the ammunition and guns for it are both not accurate.


.308 168gr Federal Match: $23.95/box:
http://www.gamaliel.com/cart/customer/product.php?productid=180&cat=615&page=1

.223 77gr Federal Match: $18.33/box:
http://www.dealerease.net/catalog/product.asp?pid=10861

Scope wise, the Nightforce will NOT do that the Bushnell probally will:

* fail to provide a crystal-clear image free of artifacts in all lighting conditions.
* Fog up WHEN the seals fail.
* have a lot of paralax.
* not go from 5.5x to 22x crisply or at all.
* loose zero when you transport it.
* loose zero due to repeated recoil from just a .308 even.
* have less eye relief, bringing your eye closer to the bell of the scope, increasing the likelyhood you will strike your forehead and need stitches!
* not look as cool